Cultural differences

I've noticed recently, through other blogs and through recent conversations, that the things we remember even though tiny and meaningless can escalate to meaning lots when other just don't get it. And it's the oddest little things that suddenly have to have a label attached like 'home' or 'British' or 'Good grief I'm getting old' . I'm not writing this very well but you must know what I mean. Adventuring Jen recently wrote about being excited about seeing Ant and Dec on TV and how no-one in NZ could understand quite why she was so excited. That is what I mean.* There was a comment too on Pomgirls most recent post too (the one about sweet shops) about the Club biscuit theme tune (all together now 'If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit...') and it got me thinking a bit. Not really about much, but a bit. I had a conversation not long before I left Bowen with Graham about the fact that it was Baldrick voicing an advert. I was terribly excited - this was a British well known voice in Australia - and it immediately made me want to watch Blackadder. Graham was, quite understandably, confused. Mind you, he got his own back when I didn't know the Vegemite advert which is apparently a classic that every Australian grows up knowing. I refrained from pointing out that I did not, in fact, grow up an Australian but he seemed to think that EVERYONE should know it. Well, I think that everyone should be able to sing the Club biscuit theme :) Anyway, I got to thinking about HOW MANY of these little things there are, things that pin point your age, that stick a little label on you that says 'British' or 'Australian' without you even realising. How many of you out there know all the words to the Ferrero Rocher advert, the one that starts 'The Ambassador's reception...'? How many of you can tell me the phone number to Going Live? Or sing the theme tune to Dogtanian? Or, on the other hand, how many of you know the song all about happy little vegemites? When I'm in Australia, sometimes its these tiny little things, these miniscule events, that make me suddenly come crashing to a halt with a feeling of 'these people speak my language and look the same but Britain this is most definitely NOT. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing but it does take a little getting used to. Especially not only the lack of prawn cocktail crisps but the complete inability to comprehend that there could even BE such a thing. *ok, I've been drinking, please take this into account...oh, and if someone would please help me get the Club biscuit advert out of my head I'd be most grateful... p.s. I know the advert, the number and the theme to Dogtanian, please feel free to test me and/or come up with well known things of your own ;)